Eleven Steps to You

Prologue

Prologue

Tinitingala ko ang kalangitan habang hawak ang lapis at papel na nakuha ko sa backpack ko. I heard voices earlier, and the reason why I'm wearing this piece of shit headphones is to minimize the noise.

How many times do I have to tell her to leave me alone? Mahirap bang sundin 'yun! I'm trying to focus, and yet she's out there distracting me with her shrieking!

Ibinababa ko ang tingin sa sinusulat. Puro linya na halos magpasira na sa papel dahil sa kabubura ko. I already wrote four, and I need to write six more to make it ten. 

Hindi naman ako nagrereklamo sa ginagawa ko.

"You don't want my help? So ungrateful! Just make sure no one gets near and beats you to the finish line, or all of that will go to waste! Loser ka pa naman!"

"Shut up!" I yell back.

I hiss as I write down what she said. Right. That's not so bad. 

Nagtagal ako sa loob ng kwarto ko nang ilang oras hanggang bumaba na ang haring araw sa kalangitan. Nilipat ko na rin ang mga sinulat ko sa mas malinis pang papel. I don't want to share this with her, but I can't deny that I need her opinion on this one.

I'm holding the paper near my chest as I walk down the hallway towards the rattan sunloungers where she usually stays. 

"Malamok na d'yan," sinasambit ko nung maabutan nga ito na nakaupo roon at nagbabasa ng libro.

She smirks as she meets my gaze. "Finish? What took you so long? Lemme see!" the girl giggles when I willingly give her the paper she's been waiting for.

Nakiupo ako sa isa pang sunlounger habang pinapanood ang malapad na ngiti niya na unti-unting maglaho. Nangungunot ang noo ko sa pinapakita nitong ekspresyon.

"Is there something wrong? Do I need to..." I trail off. 

She shakes her head. "No! No! This is good... but, hindi ba parang ang hirap naman? I mean, this could go in different directions. Wala pa namang perpekto sa kahit anong aspeto. This isn't a bucket list, might I remind you. How are you so sure that after this, you can proceed here?" aniya habang tinuturo ang mga numero.

I lick my lips and then sigh. Ang totoo niyan, hindi ko rin alam kung bakit sa mas komplikadong daan ako tatahak. Pwedeng dahil sa tagal ng panahon akong nawala, o maaari ring dahil gusto kong makasigurado that this will turn out great. I'm no perfectionist... but when it comes to this, I have no room to mess up. 

"Watch me do the impossible," sambit ko sa mababang boses.

She smiles at me. Muli nitong binabalik ang tingin sa papel at nangunot na naman ang noo bago ako muling tinitingala. 

"Saka bakit ka lumagpas? Ang sabi ko sampu lang! Ano ka ba!" anito sabay bigay sa akin pabalik ng papel.

Napapangisi na lang din ako habang binabasa ang pinakahuling numero. 

"Why? It makes sense, doesn't it?"

___

[This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, some places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Warning: Plagiarism is copying or stealing other people's work. Plagiarism is a crime. Please work hard on your own story. This one is mine, not yours.]